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bee-sting (of a body)

English translation: Tiny body

10:37 Dec 3, 2021
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
English term or phrase: bee-sting (of a body)
I've found the slang term "bee-stings" to mean small breasts, but here, the word bee-sting is used to describe a body and is in singular:

"I picture Gina: her petite, perfect little bee-sting of a body; curated dark roots growing into peroxide blond."

The only thing that comes to mind that is related is "wasp-waisted"... or that this is just another word to describe her small size, besides "petite" and "perfect little", already present in the sentence.

Can someone explain the meaning and perhaps also offer another example where the word is used in this sense?
Tuulia Tipa
Germany
Local time: 11:44
Selected answer:Tiny body
Explanation:
You're right: it's just another way of saying she's just a tiny wee body, no bigger than a bee-sting (I've just realised that's a really Scottish way of describing someone small). It's got nothing to do with bees in the sense of Apis.
Selected response from:

Charlotte Fleming
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:44
Grading comment
Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +3Tiny body
Charlotte Fleming
4 +3tiny, but makes a big impact
philgoddard
3 -2extremely small breasts
Kiet Bach


  

Answers


24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Tiny body


Explanation:
You're right: it's just another way of saying she's just a tiny wee body, no bigger than a bee-sting (I've just realised that's a really Scottish way of describing someone small). It's got nothing to do with bees in the sense of Apis.

Charlotte Fleming
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:44
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Edward Bickett (X): I’m thinking “Tinker Bell” and pixie.
19 mins
  -> Thank you!
neutral  philgoddard: I think it has everything to do with bees.
2 hrs
  -> OK.
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
4 hrs
  -> Thanks.
agree  Anastasia Kalantzi
1 day 11 hrs
  -> Thank you.
neutral  Kiet Bach: "bee-sting" refers to a raised pinkish dot (resembling a very small nipple). I doubt it is used to describe a tiny body. You said it was a Scottish way of describing someone small. That I don't know, but it is illogical.
1 day 12 hrs
  -> I said that a "tiny wee body" was a Scottish way to describe someone small, not a "bee sting".
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
tiny, but makes a big impact


Explanation:
Of course there are no definitive answers in a literary context like this, but surely the author is comparing her to a bee sting because she has an effect out of all proportion to her size. If you're turning this into German, a literal translation should work well.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2021-12-03 13:51:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Here's some more context, which shows that (a) she's very sexual and (b) the author seems to be trying to cram in as many idioms as possible:

"And the way she flaunts her cleavage. Always prancing around as if she thinks she’s the cat’s pajamas. Clearly no one ever told her to hide her light under a bushel.”
http://6booksy.com/Most-read/The-Paper-Palace/page_3.html


philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 50

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  BdiL: Yes, her body is little, but also like a bee-sting, therefore you cannot but notice IT. MAu
3 hrs
agree  Yvonne Gallagher
1 day 2 hrs
agree  Anastasia Kalantzi
1 day 8 hrs
neutral  Kiet Bach: "she's very sexual" is a bold and risky inference./ Oh well, if she has a cleavage to flaunt, then she doesn't have small breasts after all. I will have to withdraw my answer. :)
1 day 9 hrs
  -> Did you read the additional context I provided?
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -2
extremely small breasts


Explanation:
onlineslangdictionary.com says bee-sting is "usually used in the plural", not always.
http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/bee-s...

In this case, it is used like an adjectival noun, so it can be in singular form.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2021-12-03 18:42:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

a body with extremely small breasts

Kiet Bach
United States
Local time: 02:44
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Charlotte Fleming: The author of the post has already discounted this meaning.
1 hr
  -> She didn't discount it, she discussed it.
neutral  philgoddard: "...but here, the word bee sting is used to describe a body."
2 hrs
  -> A body with extremely small breasts, maybe.
disagree  Yvonne Gallagher: "...but here, the word bee-sting is used to describe a body and is in singular":
23 hrs
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